Tuesday, July 27, 2004

Kwame Kilpatrick just left the podium after delivering a rousing speech that ended with a number of the delegates chanting, "Kwame, kwame!" as he left the stage. I have been half listening to some of the speeches on C-SPAN, but Kwame's caught my attention.
Kwame is the Mayor of Detroit, a city that offers an immense challenge to any who would choose to try and govern it. While I don't really know anything about Kwame, his speech left me wondering why I don't know anything about him. If he isn't already a rising star in the party, he should be.

On another note, a voice came over the Fleet Center loudspeakers informing people on the best way to evacuate the building in the unlikely chance it may be necessary. I know why the announcement was made, but it was still a bit eerie. It was remeniscent of the announcement they make on an airplane before taxiing to the runway.

Sunday, July 25, 2004

PARIS -- Lance Armstrong rode into history Sunday, winning a record sixth Tour de France and cementing his place as one of the greatest athletes of all time.
Never in its 101-year history has the Tour had a winner like Armstrong -- who just eight years ago was given less than a 50 percent chance of overcoming testicular cancer that spread to his lungs and brain.

Chris Matthews prides himself on being the ultimate insider, providing viewers with an inside perspective on politics. While it may be true that he is the insider's insider, it would help if he would do an extra bit of homework. The controversy over the Sandy Berger investigation is a good example of when homework could help. Despite statements by the September 11 commission that no documents were withheld, Matthews and his guests on his Sunday Chris Matthew's Show still speculated that Berger's removal of documents (possibly copies, not originals) and notes was an attempt to cover up failings of the Clinton administration. Josh Marshall at Talking Points Memo has the rundown.

While it is certainly possible that Berger may be interested in massaging any possible fallout from a negative evaluation of the Clinton administration's anti-terrorism techniques, there is certainly almost no chance that he was attempting to remove damaging documents. The speculation is more problematic that the possible violation. In almost 9 months of investigation, there have been no criminal charges filed. The story is all sizzle and no steak.

There has of course been much speculation about who allowed the leak, a Democrat or a Republican; a leak by the Dems to deprive the Republicans of ammunition or a leak by the Republicans to soften the blow of a (possibly) negative 9/11 commission report. No one has come clean as to who did the leaking, but the story is unlikely to last. The Democratic Convention starts on tommorrow, which should pretty well dominate the next few days of news.